Stan Sulzmann & Nikki Iles

St Ann's Church

Stan Sulzmann soprano & tenor saxophone / Nikki Iles piano

Enjoying a long-standing musical friendship and frequent collaborations, Stan and Nikki recorded their first duet album Treasure Trove in 1996. Since then, each has continued to establish international careers, devoted fans and critical admiration – indeed, they are both nothing short of British jazz legends.

Celebrating a shared love of songs, and with original compositions from each, their duet performances are rare nowadays. This acoustic concert will bring out the very best in their lyrical inventiveness, harmonic richness and beauty of tone, in resplendent surroundings that complement the nuances of their virtuosic playing.

Date: friday 26 may

Time: 5:30 pm - 6:45 pm

Price: £15

Robert Mitchell

St Ann's Church

Robert Mitchell is an award-winning pianist, keyboard player, composer, songwriter, poet, and author. At manchester jazz festival, Robert Mitchell presents music in the spirit of his latest piano solo CD, The Rainbow Mountain/Can We Care (2020). This is his 10th album and his third, after The Equinox and The Glimpse, piano solo recording. While The Glimpse focused on Mitchell’s fascination with a number of great pianists who have defined left hand only composition, teaching and performance, alongside left hand cultural connotations, The Rainbow… explores these ideas furthered by his experiences and music making since, in a live, long, improvised set. He will perform original music, improvisation, left hand only music and some music by several legends. Robert will narrate some poetry from both his first collection – A Vigil For Justice, A Vigil For Peace and his upcoming second book – City Of Sanctuary (Common Tone Press).

photo credit Alexis Maryon

Date: friday 26 may

Time: 1:00 pm - 2:15 pm

Price: £10

Freight Train: featuring Cathy Jordan, Liam Noble and Paul Clarvis

St Ann's Church

Cathy Jordan voice, bouzouki, bodhran, bones / Liam Noble piano, synthesiser / Paul Clarvis drums

An unlikely partnership – borne out of a remote lockdown session – that shines with genuine affection and joy. Cathy’s unswerving, folky purity is the perfect foil for Paul’s mischievous rhythms and Liam’s, provocative, spiky harmonies. The result is a spare, spellbinding set full of contrasts: familiar yet surprising, sparse yet alive, innocent yet worldly… music that stays in the mind long after its final notes have faded.

The majority of songs were chosen by Paul – show tunes, blues and popular songs rarely tackled in jazz – and trace his musical collaborations, from Leonard Bernstein to Moondog and Mose Allison.

Date: wednesday 24 may

Time: 1:00 pm - 2:15 pm

Price: £10